It’s Tee Time! It’s Go (Kings) Time!

So, is this it? Or do the teams (and all those poor saps covering the finals) haul their rear ends across the continent one more time for Game 7 in Newark Wednesday?

I’m not predicting anything because I’ve been pretty incredibly incorrect since around Game 4 of Rangers-Devils. Plus I have no feel for it, other than I don’t think LA has badly slipped, I don’t believe the Devils have taken any kind of control, and I certainly and quite obviously don’t believe there is any momentum carry-over from one game to another in a series.

A lot of times the more desperate teams musters a win somehow, which is what the Devils have done.

So we’ll see.

Me? I’m tired from the discussion about whether the Rangers were tired.

Well, I think paying any sort of huge premium for fighting, whether winning or losing fighting, is largely reckless. Do that and you’ll start seeing $1m plus, long-term deals for players like Brashear, Boogaard and Rupp. Which would clearly be too insane for any GM to contemplate.

I just know what the teammates the coach think about Prust … and think they’d go the extra mile if they need to. And I’d give him Brashear’s, Boogaard’s, Rupp’s and Scott’s money all together if I could.

And I’m not down on Prust at all, to be clear. Just don’t see him being worth close to $3m for any team and wouldn’t mark him up or down to any significant extent compared to Campbell based on the volume or results of his fights.

I’m very meager to discover how much he will meek in free agency weak.

were the rangers tired probably was it the reason they lost no. they have no depth period. boyle should be there 4th line not 3rd line. guys are out of position. enough with this tired talk its making me mad.

Eric – to your point about Brian Boyle: He is a perfectly fine 3rd line center who is solid on the draw, a superb penalty killer and can chip in 15+ goals. He’s not a fourth line guy, because his value to the team would be minimized if he were to play only 5-7 minutes per game. That’s what you sign Zenon Kanopka for – and for all the key D-zone draws.

So that leaves Richards #1, Boyle #3 and perhaps Kanopka at #4. So who becomes the #2 center? If the Rangers want to make a really bold move that could absolutely swing the balance of power in their favor in the East – go get Jordan Staal. Why give up assets for Nash – who has played a grand total of 4 play-on games in 9 seasons? Staal is a star in waiting – having played in the shadows of Sausage Lips and Malkenstein all these years. He would play major minutes in all situations – he’s a world-class penalty killer and he has Stanley Cup pedigree to boot. Plus, his transition to NY would be easy, with brother Marc a team leader. Jordan Staal becomes a UFA next
July 1. But why wait? Get him before Jim Rutherford nabs him for the Hurricanes.

Stepan would more than likely be part of a package to obtain Jordan Staal.

Pittsburgh is going to be in a bit of a predicament soon – with Sausage Lips about to get the
10-year mega deal. Malkinstein is under contract. So is Fleury. They will not have the dough to sign Staal long term. So that’s why I suggested the deal. And perhaps Rangers management isn’t so thrilled with Stepan after a lukewarm playoff performance. Who would you rather have – Nash or Staal? Just puttin’ it out there.

Man debust and the debies are almost as bad as crosby. Its never thier fault. The refs scored 3 goals too didn’t they. Also gionta imbelished and was on the next shift during the pk. The kings regardless would’ve been on at least a 3min pp.

So much grabbing and interference and garbage from debbies past 2 games that the refs didn’t call.

>>>with u jimbo this hurts we were 6 away. im sad as hell now but relieved not devils

Absolutely, eric – and I just can’t help feeling that our guys would have found a way to make a better showing against these Kings, too. I’m sad, but thank you, God that you didn’t let the Debbies win again!

You need some Flyers fan friends; they’re hating seeing Dry Island West take the Cup. For example … “I’m hoping Carter or Richards drive their car off a cliff after about 23 Coors Lights tonight” and “$100 for Carter to raise the Cup, fall backwards, crack his head on the ice, and go into a coma”.

Oh, yeah!! And Parise was playing on a broken ankle, Kovalchuk has a broken back, Zajerk’s onions fell off, and DaBore got attacked by a partisan poison ivy bush that made him look like a speckled bastid…

Disappointing as it was to see the Rangers not win, it is actually not bad to see LA get the Cup. Anyone remember the HBO broadcasts of the Kings with Stu Nahan as one of the announcers in the 70’s from the Fabulous Forum? I seem to recall them giving the Bruins a run for their money in one series. Can’t forget former Kings owner Jack Kent Cooke’s quote that Canadiens moved to California because they hated hockey (lol).

Also remember one brawl the Rangers had with them in the playoffs. Only things missing tonight were the yellow uniforms. Hopefully this gives the sport another needed shot in the arm on the West Coast and that they don’t mess up the good will with a lockout. Congrats LA!!

>>>Disappointing as it was to see the Rangers not win, it is actually not bad to see LA get the Cup.

Kings have had some pretty good teams over the years. The one 1967 expansion team that was the best one was the St. Louis Blues – they were consistently the best team of the expansion teams in those years. After the Rangers win the next few cups, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Blues win one soon!

Kings traded Schenn simmonds Johnson and two picks (1 first). That’s off the top of my head. Would rangers fans be okay with trading the ranger equivalents to raise a cup? Carter and Richards were worth all they gave up because they won.

Yes Jimbo, remember when the Blues finished first for the first few years of the Western Conference. Doug Harvey, Glenn Hall and Jacques Plante, all HOF’s past their prime along with former Ranger Red Berenson and the Plagers. Yeah, after we win a few why not see them win one.

Paul in Sunrise <<<<Kings traded Schenn simmonds Johnson and two picks (1 first). That’s off the top of my head. Would rangers fans be okay with trading the ranger equivalents to raise a cup? Carter and Richards were worth all they gave up because they won.

You got it, joetex! Lots of former Rangers and lots of future Hall-of-Famers on those early Blues teams – and I think that the St. Louis fans have supported their team well over the years. I wouldn’t mind seeing them celebrate a cup win.

Tiki, we talked about that earlier. Sather stood pat. It was one way to go. Could he really have thought we were deep enough to go all the way without moves (then again,he did get Wellman and Scott)? Or, were the other GM’s asking for too much? Or, did he not want to break up his core?

The lack of depth killed us. Whether our bet players didn’t play as well as they needed to, or our lack of depth killed us, or we didn’t have enough skill players, it is semantics. We lost.

Let’s hope next year we find it was the right move to stay pat. I am not too sure how or why, but maybe the old man has more wisdom than, at least I, give him credit for.

Matty, possiblyit was the right move to stand pat, for the future. maybe other GMs were asking too much of us. who knows, but one things for sure, we didnt have the talent or depth to sustain our style play thru the entire season and playoffs and win the Cup

It’s true, Tiki, but it was a milestone year. This team turned the corner. We will be better next year. And we have a GREAT core of hard working guys that have skill. I look forward to next year already.

Staal’s on the wrong end of the Skid’s long term deal. Skidsburgh won’t be able to sign him. Rangers should go after him. Plus he’s got brothers that play hockey and his parents own a sod farm in the great white north.

Want to know the best Rangers blog according to Rangers officials? Ha. I know but I’m not telling you. If a Rangers official comes out and tells you which one it is, I’ll let you know that I knew, but that’s it. Not giving word until word is given. Because I’m an insider and insiders keep it inside. Enjoy enjoying things, unknowingthingsers!

Thing is, its not a good point, its the most simple concept in the world. Whiners will always whine that the alternate course would have been the better course. To point out that having 8 teams as buyers at the deadline means that 7 of them will end up as failed buyers is the dumbest, most obvious thing I’ve said all day. And probably will still be at 1:00 AM.

Insider Info Alert: Rod said Kovalchuk is damn near crippled but his sources can only go so far. What did mine tell me? Kovalchuk *is* crippled. And has been since Game 3 against Philadelphia. Outsiders didn’t realize this as he kept skating and playing hockey and doing things that would typically indicate that he isn’t crippled, but he is and insiders like me knew this. Since Game 2 against Philadelphia. Literally crippled. And now you know too. You’re welcome, outsiders.

SEASON IS (OFFICIALLY) OVER! REVO SI NOSAES!
Too many elbows to the heads of Daneyko and Rod makes further dialog irrelevant.
Special congratulations to ORR – he earned and deserved it.
Buenos noches and good night to all Rangers faithful.

We like to talk about our sacred core but other teams have theirs and the Kings showed uncle Glennie how you take the core and enhance it, don’t stand pat. Once you have the core it’s ok to trade assets and get the key pieces to put you over the top.

If we would have made the types of trades that brought Richards and Carter to LA people on this board would have gone absolutely bonkers. Good young talent to Philly, and taking bad guys with big contracts. A winning team has a cast of characters and there’s always a 10 foot pole or two. You have to take a chance when you’re close and prioritize talent.

And you know what? If Philly’s guys also do well in the future good for them. Good for Chicago that Amonte was good. We got what we were after. But the prevailing view here seems to be that you can only trade rejects, that if you are willing to trade someone that means you’ve “given up” on them.

What many don’t realize is that other than Kreider and McD these guys we prize so much are seen as average around the league. They would laugh at the offers for Nash that have been thrown around here.

Pay attention to what the Kings did. I’m sure the Flyers, Bruins, Sharks, and Leafs have, and one of them will get Nash because they put a real offer out there.

Or maybe, just maybe, Glennie is also paying attention. And he’s not going to worry about Radulov’s rep or trading assets for Nash. Torts knows what we need, Glen needs to go out and get it and for real, not with insulting offers.